Slipper bearing



Aug. 9, 1938. J. P. RUTH 2,126,668

sLIPPER BEARING Filed May 11, 1935 Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIPPER BEARING Joseph P. Ruth, Denver, Colo.

Application May 11, 1935, Serial No, 21,018

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in slipper bearings, and more particularly to such bearings as employed in railway locomotives, cars, and the like.

In railway locomotive and car construction it is customary to support the frame of the unit on springs that are connected by means of equalizing levers, which, in turn, rest on the axle bearing. In order to prevent undue strains the equalizing levers are supported on arcuate bearing surfaces that permit the levers to rock to a limited extent.

Whererailway units travel over tracks that are quite crooked, as is often the case in narrow gauge tracks constructed in mountainous countries, the axles must be so connected with the rigid frame that they will have considerable movement transversely of the car so as to adapt themselves to the curvature ofthe track.

It is the object of this invention to produce a slipper bearing that shall be especially well adapted for use with railway units that travel over crooked and uneven railway tracks and which, in addition to the usual rocking movement, shall also be so constructed that the parts can slide relative to the axle housing so as to permit the wheels to properly adjust themselves to the rails without imposing undue strains on the bearings.

This invention, briefly described, comprises a bottom block that is adapted to rest on the upper surface of an axle housing and which has its top provided with a concave cylindrical surface having an axis of curvature extending in the direction of the length of the axle housing.

Supported on the bottom block is a second block having an under surface formed from a convex cylindrical surface of the same curvature as that of the concave surface in the bottom block. The upper surface of the second block is provided with a concave cylindrical surface the axis whereof is perpendicular to the axis of the convex under surface. The spring supporting and equalizing levers, which are usually bowed, are provided on their under surfaces with downwardly extending projections having lower ends (Cl. MI5-82) panying drawing in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the side of a railway truck showing the position of the slipper bearings;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 2.

In the drawing reference numeral 4 indicates the axle of a railway car truck to the ends of which the wheels 5 are connected. The wheels are of usual construction and form no part of this invention and have therefore been shown in a diagrammatic manner. The axles are mounted for rotation in an axle housing which has been designated by reference numeral 6. This axle housing is also of the usual construction and is provided at each end with a substantially rectangular portion l that is located for reciprocation between the guides 8. The lower ends of the guides are connected by a frame member 9, while the upper ends thereof are attached to or connected with a frame member I0. The weight of the car body and its load rest on the frame member I and the latter is provided at spaced intervals with downwardly-extending posts I I that rest on the springs I2, The ends of the springs are connected by means of stirrups I3 with the ends of spring supporting and equalizing levers I4. The levers I4 are preferably bowed and positioned with their convex sidesupwardly. The upper surface of each lever is provided with a recess I like that shown in Fig. 2 and these recesses serve to receive the frame members Ill. Each of the spring supporting levers is provided on its lower side with a downwardly-extending projection I6 terminating in a convex cylindrical surface Il. Resting on the top of the rectangular portion 'I at each end of the axle housing is a bottom supporting Ablock I8. The top of this block is provided with a concave cylindrical surface I9 having an axis of curvature extending in the direction of the length of the axle housing. The bottom supporting block has its base portion extended outwardly a short distance, as designated by reference numeral 20, and extended upwardly from the portion are vertical walls 2l that form with the portion 20 and thesides of the block .a rectangular channel for the reception of oil or grease. Supported on the bottom block is a second block which has been designated by reference numeral 22 and which has an under portion formed by a cylindrical surface of the same curvature asA the concave cylindrical surface ,in the bottom block I8. The top of the second block is provided with .a concave cylindrical surface 23 having an axis of curvature perpendicular to the axis of curvature of the convex bottom surface. The radius of curvature of the concave cylindrical surface in the top of block 22 is the same as that of the convex cylindrical surface I1 at the lower end of the projection I6. A cover 24 is applied to the walls 2I and is provided at its center with an opening surrounded by the vertical wall 25. The spring supporting levers are provided with downwardly extending flanges 26 that surround the projections I6 and the vertical wall 25.

When the parts above described are assembled,

tion of the length of the axle housing. If lone vaxle moves vertically with respect to the adjacent axle, this produces a rocking action of the spring supporting and equalizing levers I4. Since these levers rest on the second block 22, this rocking action will cause the block 22 to rock with respect to the block 'I8 about the axis of the cylindrical bearing surfaces. If one side of the truck moves downwardly or upwardly with respect to the other side, this willrproduce a rocking motion between the surfaces II and 23.

It will be seen from the above that when railway units are provided with slipper bearings like those illustrated on the drawing and described herein, the .axle housings can move freely with respect to the frame without producing any severe strains because the universal movement provided by the slipper bearing described permits any and all adjustments to be automatically effected without strain.

Particular attention 'is called to the fact that Ithe .axle housing can move transversely with respect to the frame due to thesliding action permitted between the two cylindrical surfaces on the bottom blockand block 22.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the cylindrical surfaces II can slide with respect to the block 22 and also 'rock with respect thereto, and in this waypractically every conceivable adjustment can take place without producing severe strains on any part. By filling the chamber between the walls 2I with oil or grease, the parts will always remain properly lubricated and the flange 2li and wall 25 serve as means to prevent dust and dirt from entering the chamber where the bearings are located.

It is, of course, possible to turn the several cylindrical bearing surfaces through an angle of ninety degrees and get approximately the same effects and such a construction is considered to be a mechanical equivalent of the one illustrated, described and claimed.

I claim .as my invention- 1. A slipper bearing comprising a cylindrically concaved seat, a Weight-supporting shoe formed with a cylindrically convexed bearing surface depending for operative association lwithA said seat, and a' bearing block interposed inv freely iloatin'g, self-positioning relation between and contoured for b'oth'linearly and angularly movable cooperation 'with said seat and shoe.

2. A slipper bearing comprising a. cylindrically concaved seat, a weight-supporting shoe formed with a cylindrically convexed bearing surface depending for operative association with said seat, the cylindrical axes of said seat and shoe being perpendicularly related, and a bearing block interposed in freely floating, self-positioning relation between and contoured for both linearly and angularly movable cooperation with said seat and shoe.

3. In a truck, a slipper bearing comprising a cylindrically concaved seat, a weight-supporting shoe formed with a cylindrically convexed bearing surface depending for operative association with said seat, a bearing block interposed in freely oating, self-positioning relation between and contoured for both linearly and angularly movable cooperation with said seat and shoe, wheeled means supporting said seat, and a frame resiliently carried by said shoe.

4. A slipper bearing comprising a seat formed with an upwardly-opening, cylindrically-concaved bearing. zone, a weight-supporting shoe formed with a cylindrically convexed bearing surface depending in spaced, axially-perpendicular relation with the bearing zone of said seat, a bearing block interposed in freely floating, selfpositioning relation between and cooperatively associating said seat and shoe, and cylindrically contoured areas on said bearing block for linearly and ,angularly movable bearing cooperation with the contoured surfaces of and for retention of said block between said seat and shoe.

5. A slipper bearing comprising a seat formed with an upwardly-opening, cylindrically-concaved bearing zone, a bearing block formed with a cylindrical under portion freely oating within and cooperating for relative linear and angular motion with the bearing zone of said seat, a cylindrically-concaved bearing Zone formed on said block in vertically-spaced, axially-perpendicular relation with the bearing zone of said seat, and a weight-supporting shoe depending to a cylindrically-convexed bearing surface seated in floating relation in and cooperating for relative linear an angular motion with the bearing zone of said block, whereby said block is mounted to float in self-positioning relation and for accommodation of relative displacement between said seat `and shoe.

6. In a truck, a slipper bearing comprising a Y.

seat 'formed with an upwardly-opening, cylindricallyeconcaved bearing zone, wheeled means supporting said seat, a bearing block formed with a cylindrical under portion engaging within and cooperating for relative linear and angular motion with the bearing Zone of said seat, a cylindrically-concaved bearing zone formed on said block in vertically-spaced, axially-perpendicular relation with the bearing Zone of said seat, a

in-fixed`relation with said wheeled support, a c

bearing block engaging and cooperating for relative linear and angular motion with said seat, a weight-supporting shoe engaging and cooperating with' said -block for relative linear and angular lmotion in paths perpendicular to those of the travel between said seat and block, and means resiliently interconnecting said shoe and rigid frame; together with guide means operatively engagng between said wheeled support and rigid frame.

8. A slip-per bearing comprising a seat, a bearing block engaging and cooperating for relative linear and angular motion with said seat, a weight-supporting shoe engaging and cooperating with said block for relative linear and angular motion in paths perpendicular to those of the travel between said seat and block, and housing elements in fixed relation with said seat and shoe, respectively, cooperating in relatively shiftable relation to enclose said bearing assembly.

9. A slipper bearing comprising a seat, a bearing block engaging and cooperating for relative linear and angular motion with said seat, a weight-supporting shoe engaging and cooperating with said block for relative linear and angular motion in paths perpendicular to those of the travel between said seat and block, a housing element in fixed relation with and surrounding said seat and formed with an upstanding flange surrounding and spaced from said shoe, and a housing element in fixed relation with said shoe and formed with a depending flange cooperating in relative shiftable telescoping relation with said upstanding flange to complete an enclosure for said bearing assembly.

l0. In a slipper bearing having a xed bearing seat, a bearing block shiftably cooperating with said seat and a weight-supporting shoe shiftably engaging said block, a base in fixed relation with and extending marginally beyond said seat, a wall rising from margins of said base in surrounding relation with the bearing assembly to define a lubricant reservoir enclosing said assembly, said reservoir wall terminating in an up` per plane above the contact Zone between said bearing block and shoe, whereby the shiftable surfaces of said bearing assembly may be fully submerged in lubricant retained in said reservoir, a removable cover for said reservoir formed with an opening arranged to shiftably receive said shoe, an upstanding marginal flange dening said opening, and a closure element flxedly carried 4 by said shoe and formed with a depending flange cooperating in relatively shiftable telescoping relation with said upstanding flange to close said reservoir against entrance of foreign matter therein.

JOSEPH P. RUTH. 

